ABSTRACT

First Published in 2003. Of all the humanitarian impulses in world politics today, one of the most widely recognized is the need to protect refugees. However, as The Problems of Protection explores, what on the surface appears to be a simple proposition can quickly become complex and controversial. This complexity results in troubling variation in how we respond to our obligation to protect refugees--while NATO launches a major military intervention on behalf of Albanians in Kosovo amidst worldwide media attention, the international community's response to Sierra Leonean refugees is slow, inefficient and inadequate. Who qualifies as a refugee in need of protection? Should refugees be returned as soon as possible, or integrated into safer host countries? The contributors to this volume address the often lacking political will among powerful countries and donors, shifting attitudes among affected countries, and the difficulty of rebuilding societies in a world in which the number of refugees will almost certainly continue to increase.

part 1|33 pages

Introduction: Refugee Protection and UNHCR

chapter 1|16 pages

UNHCR at Fifty

Refugee Protection and World Politics

chapter 2|15 pages

What Is Refugee Protection?

A Question Revisited

part 2|41 pages

The Ethics of Refugee Protection

chapter 3|24 pages

The Legal and Ethical Obligations of UNHCR

The Case of Temporary Protection in Western Europe

chapter 4|15 pages

Defining Persecution and Protection

The Cultural Relativism Debate and the Rights of Refugees

part 3|61 pages

Legal and Institutional Protection of Refugees

chapter 5|21 pages

Refugee Protection in Troubled Times:

Reflections on Institutional and Legal Developments at the Crossroads

chapter 6|15 pages

A Rare Opening in the Wall

The Growing Recognition of Gender-Based Persecution

part 4|84 pages

Policy Implications of Refugee Protection

chapter 8|14 pages

Changing Priorities in Refugee Protection

The Rwandan Repatriation from Tanzania

chapter 10|17 pages

Arguing about Asylum

The Complexity of Refugee Debates in Europe

chapter 11|26 pages

Post-Conflict Reintegration and Reconstruction

Doing It Right Takes a While *

part 5|39 pages

Refugee Protection Post–September 11

chapter 12|12 pages

Securing Refuge from Terror

Refugee Protection in East Africa after September 11